Art meets medicine and cell phones support skin diagnoses in this week’s roundup of research news at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as our latest headlines show science can find the best partners in unlikely places. Along with a creative study on the power of art observation for ophthalmology led by Gil Binenbaum, MD, MSCE, pediatric eye surgeon at CHOP, we also cover updates from researchers developing a teledermatology app, learn about novel pathways in the gene mutations that cause hearing loss, and congratulate Vinay Nadkarni, MD, on his latest honor from the American Heart Association.

Nobody enjoys sitting in a doctor’s waiting room, especially when they have an uncomfortable skin condition. A Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia study team tested a direct-to-consumer mobile app designed to facilitate routine dermatologic consultations for children and adolescents. The pilot study results showed the telemedicine technology was acceptable, easy to use, and expedited care.

This week we’re all about getting smart in our highlights of research news from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Getting smart in the approach to tackling childhood cancer means identifying strategies that will make a decade’s progress in half the time.